Only expressing small amounts, would an electric pump be better?

[Cydonia]

Or do some people just not make that much milk?!
DS is nearly 8 months and I've never really got on with expressing. I have a Philips Avent manual pump and it takes me at least 3 pumping sessions to get enough milk to fill a bottle. I can just about cope with that at the moment as DS only gets a couple of bottles a week when left with MIL.

But I'm going back to work next month and as things are I'm just not going to be able to express enough. I was going to mix feed from now on but DS is allergic to milk, we're waiting on a prescription for Pepti junior (?) but I don't know if he'll take to it.

I've never felt like I produce lots of milk - I never got engorged when my milk came in, I don't leak, and if I don't feed DS for hours ( like last night when he randomly slept through ) I don't feel full or uncomfortable. Does that mean even with a 'better' pump I still won't get much? Or are electric pumps amazing and the answer to my prayers?!
I don't really want to buy one at this stage, but might look into hiring one.

Anyone else had this problem or is it just me with frugal boobs?!

[amazingmumof6]

you probably make the right amount he needs, if you want extra you have to trick your body into thinking there's an increased demand

what you need to do for the next 3-4 days is to stimulate the breast more, that's roughly how long it takes for your body to get the message to produce more

manual or electrical - both do the job well, the point is to do it MORE frequently and increase length of each session too!

so whatever you are doing now - keep it up, but try and do an extra session tonight or tomorrow. than add an extra 5 mins pumping on each breast to as many sessions as you can, then keep it going for another 2-3 days.

another option is to pump 5-10 mins on each side after every bf session - I guess you know you can collect up milk expressed on the same day into same bottle - if not ready to use, you can freeze to put in his food or other feeds

I know it's time consuming, but the results will show relatively quickly - and in your case well worth the trouble!

also try feeding baby in different positions, check latch, encourage proper feeding, not dummying - even at that age they can get lazy!

(you can get an avent electric pump on Ebay - but it might take days for it to arrive, I'd just get on with the one you have, ideal time to do it this weekend!)

[amazingmumof6]

oh, and you are not alone!

my DS2 was like a hoover, I had Pamela boobs! if he overslept by 20 mins my boobs were so full they started leaking/spraying!

the other 5 kids - not so much, but it did vary.

I never felt full with DD (9 months old)

[jrwoods]

I have just bought an electric tommee tippee pump after using the hand pump every few days for a couple of weeks. In my experience the electric one doesn't pump more, there is just a lot less effort required by me!
I'd go with the advice above in order to try and use it more. I'm going to have to do the same!

[Cydonia]

Thanks amazing, though not sure that's what I wanted to hear, was hoping to express less ha ha! I mainly express at night after DS has gone to bed ( though have tried various times and still only got about 60ml a time ) but today I also did 6am and about 2pm and the second time I got much more.
Maybe I will look into renting though, as if I've got to express loads it might as well be hands free!

Another question, if expressing numerous times throughout the day, how often should I be washing and sterilising the pump?

[alisarah]

I found I expressed more with an electric pump. I also found I expressed more first thing in morning. One tip that worked for me was to feed from one side throughout the night and first feed of morning, then express from the other.

I would sterilize after every use - although I only use to do it once a day, at the same time (after first feed)

[Cydonia]

Thanks, I'll try that. I think milk production dips at night so not really surprising I'm not getting much at 10pm! So hard to find time during the day though, but an electric pump would make it easier to pump from one side as DS feeds from the other. Think I'll call our maternity unit and see if they hire them out.

[smornintime]

I always express in the mornings now as I also find I have much more milk then. I can manage up to 170ml from one side but don't always get that. I leave the other side usually for DD's breakfast or just take a bit.
I have found in the past (had issues with DS a couple years back) that I upped production quite effectively by pumping before a feed rather than after - baby can get the dregs out when a pump can't.
I would also sterilise every time.

[NeedlesCuties]

OP, I also never leak, don't really get engorged. BF my PFB for 11 months, and I'm feeding my 5month old old now.

In my experience I can only express 3oz, in about a 20 min period, that's with a Medela electric pump.

Have friends who found expressing easy, but for me it's just a faff.